The 2025 SEMA show is just around the corner, and that can only mean one thing: SEMA press release season has officially kicked off. And the first OEM press dump to come my way comes from Nissan. Let’s see what they’re bringing to Vegas next week.
The Forsberg Racing Patrol and NISMO Z
From his RB-powered 280Z restomod to his more recent drift Altima, Chris Forsberg’s Nissan builds have always been second-to-none. Forsberg may very well be the only reason Nissan as a brand has been able to retain any of its cool factor, and this Y60 Nissan Patrol build proves why.
The graphics are an homage to Nissan’s racing past; a Mobil 1 twist on the classic Repsol livery seen on the Paris-Dakar race vehicle. (Though I would have loved to see the Fanta livery reborn, if only because I have a very heavy soda-drinking habit.)
Helping this rig handle the gnarly off-road stuff is a custom NISMO off-road suspension with remote reservoirs, plus some custom NISMO 17-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in 35-inch Yokohama GEOLANDAR tires. And with this Y60’s TB48 inline-six having been massaged to churn out 1,000 horsepower (no, that’s not a typo), this Nissan’s got more than enough power to back up its race-ready look.
And speaking of race-ready looks, Forsberg is also bringing his Forsberg Racing NISMO GT-Z. Built to compete in GRIDLIFE’s GLGT racing series, this new Z gets the full NISMO suspension catalog thrown at it, plus a bunch of Z1 parts to better help the turbocharged VR engine withstand the demands of racing.
A Patrol by any other name
Do Nissan Armada owners know their vehicle is called the Patrol in other markets? Do they even care? And am I, in my typical fashion, overthinking things? I know the answer to at least one of those questions is a resounding yes, and I also know that this Dune Patrol concept is pretty sick.
Its exterior has been outfitted with a ton of prototype NISMO parts, meaning that if someone can prove the business case to build these for real, there’s a chance you could buy this rig’s rock sliders, cutaway bumpers, off-road lighting and more straight from your local Nissan dealer.
What you won’t be able to buy, however, is the custom CJD Racing long-travel suspension which includes custom 10-inch 2.5 BILSTEIN M 9200 coilovers and 10-inch 70mm BILSTEIN M 9200 bypasses, custom 4340 drive axles front and rear, custom shock towers, custom control arms and so much more.
How did this name get past Legal?
As someone who has spent way, way too many years trying to get bits of copy past OEM legal departments, I’m surprised that Nissan got away with calling this concept the Rapid Runner. Maybe the fact it was built by some dudes from PowerNation TV means it got to bypass the usual Legal review. Anyway…
2025 marks the second appearance of this built Nissan Frontier, which in no way, shape or form is supposed to resemble an SUV from a rival automaker. This pickup was built to haul kayaks around, and by the looks of this rig, the best way to do that is to rip off all the factory doors, swap in the larger suspension components from the full-size Nissan Titan, and wrap those prototype NISMO wheels in 37 inches of Yokohama GEOLANDAR rubber.
And if I could be sincere for a moment, I do like the ideas for wetsuit storage, the waterproof seat covers and neon blue-and-green colorway. Reminds me of my all-time favorite concept car, the Pontiac Stinger from 1989.
What about the other sports cars?
Nissan, at least at this point, has yet to announce any additional performance-car builds for the 2025 SEMA Show. Fingers crossed the brand surprises us with an electrified take on an old S-chassis build, or shows off more classic vehicles tied to its heritage and preservation programs. But even if all we get is some cool trucks and a race-prepped Z, these builds alone show that Nissan is still in the fight to capture the hearts and minds of car enthusiasts everywhere.
All photos: credit Nissan USA
